A man wanted in Old Saybrook on charges of shaking and seriously injuring his girlfriend's baby was captured Thursday as he allegedly tried to break into cars at a Middletown YMCA.

After his arrest, Keith Loftus, 31, was charged with first-degree assault, risk of injury to a minor, interfering with an officer, conspiracy to commit interfering with an officer and conspiracy to commit a false statement.

Loftus, formerly of Deep River, is also wanted on a violation of probation charge. Police said he had been on probation for third-degree burglary, first-degree larceny and theft of a firearm convictions.

Loftus is accused of causing the injuries that seriously injured the then 7-month-old infant. Police said Loftus is not the child's father and the child is now in foster care.

The child's mother, Crystal Dorothy, 26, of 2 Second Ave., Old Saybrook, was charged Tuesday with risk of injury to a minor, second-degree providing a false statement, second-degree conspiracy to commit a false statement, interfering with an officer and conspiracy to commit interfering with an officer.

Old Saybrook police announced Tuesday they were looking for Loftus in connection to the case. Police in Middletown took Loftus into custody after receiving a complaint a man was trying to break into cars at the Middletown YMCA.

Old Saybrook police said the investigation into the abuse allegation began on Sept. 16, when the Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital alerted the Department of Children and Families about the suspected child abuse.

Police said that Loftus was the child's caretaker while Dorothy worked. The investigation uncovered that the infant was injured over multiple days in September in Old Saybrook and Deep River while in Loftus' care.

Police said Loftus and Dorothy fabricated how the injuries occurred to the infant. Police said their story was not consistent with the life-threatening injuries the infant sustained.

Police said officials at DCF, Yale-New Haven Hospital, state police and Middletown Superior Court were involved in the investigation.

Dorothy was released on a $25,000 bond and is next scheduled to appear March 12 in Middletown Superior Court.

Loftus has an extensive criminal record with convictions for possession of drugs and theft dating back to 2004.

He was held in lieu of a combined $300,000 bond and is scheduled to appear today in Middletown Superior Court.